Thursday, January 10, 2013

New England Winter Runs

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After a very busy end of very busy 2012, I think we're going to be getting back into the swing of blogging - but definitely not as frequently as we did before. Since I've been gone, and C mentioned, we've had a few big races, and some great PRs. I'm still chasing my 5k time, but I finally broke the 1:50 mark at the Boston Athletics Association's Half a few months back (1:48:04). I ran a five miler for the first time in three years at the Edaville Rail Run (a PR at 38:58 - which hopefully won't stand for long) on dirt roads through cranberry bogs.

We're still moving along - and right now we've started our training schedule for two events this Spring. March 23rd is the Savin Rock Half Marathon﻿ and May 4th and 5th will bring us the Fredrick Running Festival's Nut Job (6pm 5k, followed by an 8am 1/2 marathon). My hope is that the 5k the evening before we let me sleep better and stretch out before the half. I will be thrilled if I can finally bring my time to a sub 1:45 - at least the pacing C needs to qualify for the Boston marathon.

For now, its all about getting into the habit of running 5 days a week (Jantastic helps) and increasing my mileage. I seem to be working late every day and most weekends, so this is going to be tough- but you know what they say: "if you make it a priority - you find laundry piling up and an empty fridge..." or something like that. At least those runs get done.

This weekend I got in a beautiful 8-9 mile run (pictures below). I left work on Sunday with just enough time to get an 8 miler before the sun set. It was relatively warm (40s) not too much of a breeze, and I had plotted out a new course. It started off going through a little park (part of the Fens) across the street from office, then out to the river. I was supposed to do a little loop through the Harvard Athletic fields - but I ran into an obstacle.

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I got to enjoy a sunset, a few new neighborhoods, a new park and it served as a great reminder to stay off the treadmill.

Beautiful Parks - a cleared path and white snow, the ideal New England winter run

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A fence across your path - not exactly ideal

Sunset over the frozen Charles - I'll never got bored of that view. (Though I hear the Potomac is pretty too)